Lets talk food is all about, well as is obvious, FOOD. I am mostly clueless about life and its many trappings and trimmings but one thing I am clued in about is food. This blog is all about my tumultuous relationship and crazy love for food.

Tuesday, 9 September 2014

Radhuni Murgi: Chicken curry with wild celery seeds

পুজো আসছে

I
find the food at Calcutta’s Bohemian restaurant quite interesting. The man
behind Bohemian chef Joy Banerjee, knows his food. I think he has successfully
given Bengali cuisine, a global-gourmet makeover. And what I love about his
dishes is the play of ingredients. The ingredients, traditional bengali spices
and condiments, are mostly familiar, but their use is far from ordinary. I have
dined at the Bohemian a few times and I have a few favourites I keep returning
for. My Bohemian favourites are Bacon wrapped chicken supreme bundles with Aam
Kasundi reduction and the Bacon baked Tilapia with Ginger and Fennel served
with tossed greens and coriander butter rice.

However,
there is one dish I have often stopped at, mulled over, drooled some and
imagined a little. The Steamed breast of Chicken with Radhuni enriched curry
sauce. It is served with tossed vegetables and Bori Pilaf. But some how I
always end up ordering for something else. The lure of bacon is simply
irrisistible. However, I had brought home the idea and decided to make a chicken
curry with Radhuni as the core spice. Hence was born my Radhuni Murgi Curry.

For
the uninitiated, Radhuni often referred to as wild celery seeds, is a unique
spice used extensively Bengali cuisine. At home, we mostly make a runny Masoor
dal tempered with Radhuni. It is delicious, The aroma out of this world, But I
had never tried radhuni is a non vegetarian dish before, naturally, I was little nervous. The thing with Radhuni
is used in the right amount it will transform a dish into anything but ordinary,
but too much of Radhuni might ruin your dish.

Anyway,
this Durga Puja, if you are craving essentially Bengali flavours and yet looking for something new, you could try this
chicken curry. With piping hot rotis, this is a winner.

Ingredients

Boneless
chicken – 1 kg

Yoghurt
– 100 g

Tomato
puree – 50 ml

Onions
– 2 medium

Garlic
– 5-6 cloves (large)

Ginger
– 3 inch piece cut into smaller bits

Whole
red chilies – 6-7

Sesame
seeds paste – 2 tbsp

Pearl
onions – 200g

Radhuni
(ground into a paste) – 1tbsp

Turmeric
powder – ½ tsp

Cumin
powder – 1tsp

Garam
Masala powder – ½ tsp

Mustard
oil

Salt
to taste

Sugar
– 1 tbsp

Method

In
a mixer, blend the onion, garlic, ginger and whole red chilies into a paste.